An inaugural scholarship in honour of slain Queensland Police Constable and QUT graduate, Rachel McCrow, has been presented at a special ceremony in Brisbane.
The $5000 Rachel McCrow Memorial Scholarship will become an annual award given to a QUT Bachelor of Justice student who is currently working toward a career in community policing and youth justice.
The inaugural award was presented to Bachelor of Justice student Ella Anderson who will graduate at the end of next year.
"Service to the community is something that we value highly here at QUT," QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Sheil AO said.
"In 2016, Rachel McCrow was answering that call to service when she graduated from the QUT Bachelor of Justice along with 222 other students in her year.
"In December last year, the tragic loss of Constable McCrow was felt across the country as the young constable and her colleague, Constable Matthew Arnold, each with so much to give, was taken away from those she loved and from the career that had meant so much to her and the community she served.
"To keep her spirit alive and to promote police careers with a focus on youth justice and rural communities we are today presenting the Rachel McCrow Memorial Scholarship."
Family and friends of Constable McCrow, along with Assistant Police Commissioner Charysse Pond, attended the memorial scholarship ceremony at The Cube, QUT.
"And I would like to thank Dr Judy McCrow for her guidance in helping to draft the criteria for this scholarship in honour of her daughter," Professor Sheil said.
Ms Anderson is completing the Criminology and Policing major with a minor in Policy and Politics and earlier this year was the recipient of the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Excellence.
QUT has a partnership with the Queensland Police Service that dates back the Fitzgerald Inquiry when the School of Justice was established to provide better avenues for police training, Professor Sheil said.
"This scholarship is another way we can show our commitment to the work the Queensland Police Service does to keep our communities safe and to encourage students who are answering the call to be of service to their own communities across the country."
School of Justice, Head of School, Professor John Scott, said by the time QUT Bachelor of Justice students graduate, they have not only learnt about crime and policing but have gained an appreciation of broader QUT values in areas such as inclusion and social justice.
"The best police, especially when it comes to rural and remote places, immerse themselves in their communities, often adopting a localistic approach to policing as opposed to legalistic," Professor Scott said.
"The police are us – our family, our friends, our community, our current and our formal students and our colleagues. Nowhere is this truer than when you go to rural and remote communities, where police often live in the communities they work. Nowhere was this more evident than in December last year in the communities of Tara and Chinchilla."
Main image: Assistant Police Commissioner Charysse Pond, Bachelor of Justice student Ella Anderson, and QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Sheil AO at the Rachel McCrow Memorial Scholarship presentation. Picture: QUT
Inset image: Inaugural Rachel McCrow Memorial Scholarship recipient, Ella Anderson. Picture: QUT
